Seau memorial taking longer than anticipated

Tribute won't be ready for anniversary of Seau's death

Building a bronze statue and memorial wall honoring Oceanside football star and philanthropist Junior Seau is proving more complicated than first thought.

“It’s not a question of ‘if it’s going to happen.’” said former Seau neighbor Michael Walter, who came up with the idea for the statue and is leading the drive to build it. “It will happen — it’s a matter of when it will happen.”

Walter had been scheduled to present his proposal for the statue and memorial wall to the Oceanside Arts Commission on Monday but pulled out at the last minute because he said the plans just aren’t ready.

For one thing, Walter said, he’s changed sculptors, opting to go with a Carlsbad artist instead of the Palm Springs artist he initially commissioned. He said he’s also in the process of filing the paperwork needed to create a Seau memorial organization as a federally recognized nonprofit organization to make fundraising easier.

“I want everything to be lined up and I don’t want to go off kind of half-cocked,” Walter said.

Seau, an Oceanside High School graduate who gained national fame playing football for the San Diego Chargers, shot himself to death May 2 in his home on The Strand in Oceanside.

Walter had hoped to have the statue in place by the anniversary of Seau’s death, but said Monday he now hopes to dedicate a memorial site on that date. He wants the statue to go along the beach, within blocks of where Seau lived.

“May 2 is a date that is significant, so we’d like to have something,” Walter said. “I’d like to put a sign up and say ‘future site of Seau memorial. That would be great.”

Arts Commission approval is a crucial first step in getting the permits needed to build the memorial. Walter also needs approval from the City Council and California Coastal Commission.

The Arts Commission informally endorsed Walter’s plan in October but lacked a quorum to take a formal vote.

Commission Chairwoman Jane Dancison said commissioners were ready to give Walter the OK on Monday and were disappointed when he canceled.

Based on what Walter presented in October, “it looked great,” Dancison said.

The Arts Commission doesn’t meet again until February, which Dancison said doesn’t leave enough time for Walter to get the statue/memorial plan to the Council to get it built by May 2 even if he had everything else ready.

City Councilman Jack Feller, the council liaison to the commission, said it’s probably better that Walter take more time to work out details on the project itself and raise money.

Walter first thought the statue/memorial would cost as much as $250,000 but his latest estimate is about $100,000.

He said raising the money is taking longer than expected but figures it will pick up in January. He didn’t have figures Monday for how much has been raised so far.

“We’re slowly getting there,” said Walter. He said he started the project because he felt a special bond to Seau. Walter said he and his son would often see the former NFL star on the beach or on his balcony overlooking the beach.

Walter said interest in the project is growing to include some of Seau’s fans in New England, where Seau played with the New England Patriots after leaving the Chargers.

“I get emails from all over. I got a letter from a lady in Italy,” Walter said. “People all over know about this.”